Forum Discussion

spelk's avatar
spelk
Tuning in
9 months ago

Billed for Returned Kit

I returned my kit to a Yodel pickup location containing the following:

Item Type Item Description Value

Broadband RouterArris Hub 3£40
Set Top BoxArris TiVo box 1TB£0
Set Top BoxCisco TiVo box 500GB£0

And now I've had an email and text saying I'm being charged £40! The kit has been returned!

After my disconnection on 22nd June, there was still £82.70 in credit under my account.

I don't know how to get that money refunded, and I don't want VM to take £40 out of it for returned kit I've dropped off at a Yodel point.

I can't seem to get any joy from the web chat option, it won't load. So rather than spend wasted hours on the phone, I thought I'd post here to see if anyone can help.

13 Replies

Sort By
  • Daniel_Et's avatar
    Daniel_Et
    Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
    9 months ago

    Hi spelk, thank you for your post. 

    We're sorry to hear about the situation you find yourself in 😔

    Can you please confirm the date on which you returned your kit to us via Yodel and the date on which you received notification that you're being charged £40? It may just be a crossover.

    Refunds are processed 45 days after an account has been disconnected. 

    Please pop back to us at your earliest convenience.

    Regards,
    Daniel

  • spelk's avatar
    spelk
    Tuning in
    9 months ago

    Hi Daniel,

    I returned the kit to a Yodel drop off point on the 15th July.
    I received the notification that I was being charged this morning 23rd July.

    Other messages and events:

    7th July - VM said I should have received my returns packaging (I hadn't).

    To facilitate the return, I requested another set of returns packaging on VM website.

    13th July, I had a delivery from Yodel of the large returns packaging for my 3 items of kit (it had a "JD" delivery tracking code).

    14th July, Message detailing that a charge of £40 will apply if I don't return my equipment.

    15th July, I'd boxed up the equipment and dropped it off at a Yodel collection point. The drop off staff wanted my email address, so I would track it, but I declined to give it for privacy.

    16th or 17th July I had another returns packaging delivered (a much smaller one) from Whistl (it had a "VIR" delivery code). I still have the unopened small returns packaging.

    23rd July message saying a £40 charge has been applied to my account.

    I hope that is enough.

    Thank you for trying to help.

  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person
    9 months ago

    Do you have the proof of posting? Did you track the returns via the Yodel app? 

    • spelk's avatar
      spelk
      Tuning in
      9 months ago
      Adduxi wrote:

      Do you have the proof of posting? Did you track the returns via the Yodel app? 

      I have the ID of the return and it was checked in at the Yodel collection point. But I declined to hand over my mail address and I don't use the Yodel app.

      • Carley_S's avatar
        Carley_S
        Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
        9 months ago

        Thanks for getting back to us spelk 

        Do you have the receipt at all from when you dropped of the return? This should have a tracking number on it so that you can see when the equipment gets to us. 

        Once the equipment is returned and processed at our side, the charge will be removed from the account. 

  • spell's avatar
    spell
    Knows their stuff
    9 months ago

    This is a totally inadequate response regarding a scam that has been going on for years - it is certainly not justified by meaningless claims of a 'crossover'.

    Virgin cannot steal money from a customer and then demand that the customer should be required to provide evidence that it should not have been taken before deciding they will give a refund by  cheque weeks of months later. The money that must have been obtained from customers who give up in frustration and stress must be an enormous amount.

    I suggest going through the totally useless complaints procedure which at least will provide further evidence then pursue through  civil court for criminal offences.

  • spelk's avatar
    spelk
    Tuning in
    9 months ago

    Thanks for the reply, but I don't quite understand how it is the fact that I didn't supply my email to the person scanning the package for Yodel means its "lost in transit" until it shows up at VM's warehouse. My email address is the single point of tracking that this box has? I mean the packaging box was sent out with an ID number, presumably Yodel use that to report back and send the box to VM itself?

    Anyway, I appreciate folks help and insight on these forums, since there doesn't seem to be an approachable/amenable way to make contact with anyone in VM other than here.

    The package was logged at the One Stop on the 15th July, so if it takes 10-14 days (end of July-ish) to be delivered back to the VM warehouse I'll wait to hear from VM when they receive it, and then wait on the refund of my monies sat in credit.

    If I hear anything, I'll report back to this thread for other interested folks.

    • Matthew_ML's avatar
      Matthew_ML
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      9 months ago

      Please do keep us updated

      However that email was the proof of postage this is how we would of tracked it.

      We send thousands of these out per day without knowing your tracking number we wouldn't be able to track this sorry.

      Any further updates let us know.

      • spelk's avatar
        spelk
        Tuning in
        9 months ago

        An update for completeness...

        @2024-07-28 VM mailed me for a "Your Opinion" exit survey on how likely I would recommend them...

        @2024-07-29 VM mailed me another more involved Qualtrics survey on how they'd like to hear my thoughts. I told them my thoughts explicitly referencing the poor customer contact and large time and effort required in trying to arrange a cancellation, as well as the poor mechanism in place via third party for returning equipment and even after dropping off the equipment, being charged for not returning it!

        @2024-07-29 VM mailed me to notify a refund of the remaining monies £42.70 I had in credit (minus the £40 charge for non-returned equipment), it may take 2 days or so to go into my bank.

        @2024-07-31 VM mailed me a "Thanks for returning our kit" message and that "Any charges that had been applied for the kit you returned will now be removed." So, presumably £40 credit will go into my account and somehow that will be refunded in time? I don't know what will trigger that refund and I'm not sure I have any place to go to initiate it.

        The whole process is far from smooth and it finally sullies any good will I had for VM.

        The fact that this community exists, where you can discuss and talk with representatives is much needed, valuable and reassuring.

        Thanks for folks input to my issue, much appreciated.